


would you like to be something more?

by eunseo



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Together, M/M, Non-Binary Jean Prouvaire, Pining, grantaire and marius are buds, grantaire/marius/cosette are one of my brot3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-06
Updated: 2015-01-06
Packaged: 2018-03-06 07:38:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3126374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eunseo/pseuds/eunseo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It isn't that Marius has an adorable crush on Combeferre that's the size of the moon. Except it absolutely is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	would you like to be something more?

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to seyni for proofreading.  
> my tumblr is songofgrantaire if you'd like to say hi!

It isn’t that Marius has an adorable crush on Combeferre that’s the size of the moon. Except it absolutely is.

When Marius first became friends with the Amis, he was young, naive, and not very socially aware. He remembers talking about _something_ , he can’t remember what, with the certainty that only comes from ignorance. He remembers that Combeferre tore apart his argument in three words, calmly spoken and with a frown. Since then, he’s been more careful about speaking out loud in a meeting, he’s more attentive, and more observant of his privilege and how his privilege might affect his opinions. He has even asked Courfeyrac to call him out on anything he does that’s problematic, and he blushes whenever anyone mentions that they’re proud of all the progress he has made. Since then, he’s also become more and more interested in the medical student, and not just because he’s attractive. Combeferre is intelligent, calm, and his love for his friends has no limits. Marius used to think that his crush was at least 75% admiration for Combeferre, but in the months he has known Les Amis, he has stopped lying to himself and is willing to admit that he really likes Combeferre, despite the fact that he’s sure Combeferre hates him.

Marius is aware that everyone thinks he is in love with Courfeyrac, and while they live together, it’s not Courfeyrac that Marius sneaks glances at when he’s with the group. He’s almost amazed at how oblivious everyone is about his crush, but he’s also extremely thankful. The Amis are disturbingly good at reading people and they have the habit of playing matchmakers, so he’s immensely relieved that no one is trying to set him up with Combeferre because while he’s certain Combeferre hates him (or at least dislikes him), he doesn’t want to hear him say it out loud. For this same reason, he never approaches Combeferre, and always sits with Grantaire at the table farthest away from where he sits. Sometimes, he sees Grantaire looking between him and Combeferre and giving him sympathetic looks. He doesn’t mind that the artist knows. He likes Grantaire, and trusts him not to tell anyone, though he wishes Grantaire didn’t know when he constantly teases him in private, saying that Marius is like a duckling who’s imprinted.

It’s not really a surprise when Courfeyrac comes up to him one day and pauses Game of Thrones as Marius is watching.

“You like Combeferre, don’t you?” he asks with a smirk.

Marius mentally curses his complexion as he feels the heat rising to his face.

“I knew it! You do!” Courfeyrac’s smirk suddenly turns conspiratory and Marius buries his head in his hands.

“It doesn’t matter,” Marius whines.

“It so matters, his-”

“He doesn’t even consider me a friend, just forget it.”

“Of course you’re his friend! Why would you think that you’re not?”

Marius shrugs noncommittally.

“Is it because of the time he proved you wrong in three words?” Marius blushes brighter. “Marius, that was months ago, he’s probably forgotten it by now,” Courfeyrac argues.

“Unlikely. That’s the only interaction we’ve ever had,” Marius mentions quietly.

“You’ve never said anything to Combeferre since then?! Not even hi?”

The younger man shakes his head.

“That’s... almost impressive, how have you gone so long without saying any-? Well, anyway, even if he hasn’t forgotten it, ‘Ferre wouldn’t hold that against you for all this time. Also, him disproving your argument wasn’t him hating you, or disliking you, it was just making you see the flaw in your logic, alright?” Marius nods, finally moving his hands away from his face. “Now that that’s settled, listen to my brilliant plan,” Marius groans and hides his face in his hands again. Courfeyrac continued as if nothing had happened. “His birthday’s coming up, and you’re gonna get him the greatest gift in the history of gift-giving and then confess your undying love to him and-”

“I really don’t wanna hear the rest of this.”

“Don’t my plans always work out?”

“Not really.”

“Marius!” he gasps, faking offense. “How could you have such little faith in me?”

Their conversation quickly dissolves into a pillow fight, but Marius thinks on the words after Courfeyrac has gone to bed. He spends the next three weeks searching for the perfect gift and goes into approximately thirty-five stores but he can’t find anything that he wants to give Combeferre. Eventually he takes a break and agrees to go to the bookstore with Cosette and Jehan.

They go to a nondescript bookstore tucked between two buildings, and Marius knows that if it weren’t for Cosette and Jehan, he never would have noticed it. He finds two books in German and one in Russian that attract his attention, and vaguely skims the titles of books on the shelves as he’s going to the register. One of the titles has the word ‘moth’ in it and he pauses. The book is easily 400 pages, and talks about every single kind of moth, extinct or otherwise, in great detail. Marius knows immediately that it’s the gift he’s going to give Combeferre. He buys the books, then stands alongside Jehan and waits for the two of them to finish up. Two hours later and Jehan has seven new poetry books, at least two of them in Spanish, and Cosette has six, half of which are in Korean.

He walks Cosette and Jehan to the train then on his way home, he buys wrapping paper. He knows Courfeyrac always keeps bows around the house (he’s not sure he wants to know why) so he doesn’t buy any. Just as Marius is about to wrap the book, he has an idea. He grabs a pen and opens the book to the dedication page (which he knows Combeferre always reads) and writes a small note before he loses his nerve.

_You’re one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met, and I really admire you. -Marius_

Three days later, it’s Combeferre’s birthday and the Amis gather at his and Enjolras’ apartment. Courfeyrac and Marius arrive together, but while Courfeyrac walks off to greet everyone, Marius goes into the kitchen where Grantaire and Combeferre are talking amiably. Combeferre notices him first and seems pleasantly surprised that Marius showed up. Grantaire notices a second later and makes a half-assed excuse to leave the two of them alone.

“Marius,” Combeferre says, smiling softly.

Marius can feel himself blushing, and quickly stutters out “happy birthday” while holding out the arm with the present.

Combeferre’s smile grows as he takes the book from Marius’ hand and hesitates for a moment before pulling Marius into a hug and saying thank you. Marius barely contains a surprised squeak, but his blush spreads down to his neck. It takes him a moment to hug Combeferre back, but when he does, Combeferre squeezes him gently then lets go. Marius immediately misses the warmth and the feeling of Combeferre’s chest pressing against his, but he smiles at him before walking to the living room where he finds Grantaire lounging on the couch with Cosette and Feuilly. When Grantaire notices him, he smirks knowingly.

“Wow, duckling, you’re blushing spectacularly, I’m guessing everything went well?” Marius tries to hide his pleased smile in the crook of Grantaire’s neck, but Cosette and Feuilly had already noticed.

“So, what happened back there?” Cosette asks.

“‘Ferre hugged me,” Marius replies, looking up and smiling wider than before. Cosette and Feuilly look surprised for a moment, but quickly recover. Marius realizes belatedly that he just told them about his crush on Combeferre, but he finds that he doesn’t mind very much. He spends the night tucked against Grantaire’s chest, the latter absentmindedly playing with Marius’ hair. Him, Grantaire, and Cosette spend a majority of the time talking (Feuilly had a late-night shift at one of his jobs and had to leave). When Courfeyrac decides to have an impromptu movie night, Marius is still sandwiched between the two of them, but Jehan joins them and lays hir head on Cosette’s lap.

Marius ends up falling asleep halfway through Rise of the Guardians and only wakes up when Courfeyrac shakes him and tells him he’s staying the night. He blinks tiredly for a few seconds, then notices that a lot of his friends have gone home. Grantaire is asleep beside him, but Cosette is not and she reassures Courfeyrac that Marius will be sleeping at her and Grantaire’s apartment. It takes them ten minutes to wake up Grantaire because, frankly, the artist sleeps like the dead. Afterwards they leave and go one flight down to Cosette and Grantaire’s shared apartment. They say good night to each other, then Marius falls asleep on the couch, as he always does when he sleeps over (he has tried sharing beds with the both of them, but Grantaire’s a blanket hog and Cosette kicks in her sleep, so he prefers the couch).

When he wakes up, he's the only one awake and he has a text from an unsaved number. He makes an odd squawking noise when he reads the message, and is glad no one was awake to hear it.

From: Combeferre  
10:32AM  
Hey, Marius. It’s Combeferre, I asked Courf for your number, I hope that’s alright?

Marius quickly saves the number, the stares down at his phone for a minute before replying.

To: Combeferre  
10:44AM  
Hi, Ferre. It’s okay, I don’t mind :)

Combeferre replies soon after.

From: Combeferre  
10:46AM  
Great, I opened your present a little while ago (thanks again, by the way) and it turns out I already have the book you gave me.

From: Combeferre  
10:46AM  
However, my copy doesn’t have a personalized note from you, so I like your gift quite a bit more.

Marius smiles down at his phone and doesn’t bother to stop himself.

To: Combeferre  
10:48AM  
I’m glad you like the gift.

From: Combeferre  
10:48AM  
Courf told me it took you three weeks to find a gift for me.

From: Combeferre  
10:48AM  
I really appreciate it.

From: Combeferre  
10:49AM  
Though I feel bad that you went through so much trouble, I would’ve been happy with anything.

To: Combeferre  
10:51AM  
I know, but I couldn’t find anything I wanted to get you until I saw the book.

From: Combeferre  
10:52AM  
In any case, thank you, I really liked the gift.

From: Combeferre  
10:52AM  
Courfeyrac also mentioned something else about you.

Marius bites his lip nervously, listing every possible thing Courfeyrac could have told Combeferre.

To: Combeferre  
10:53AM  
Nothing bad, I hope?

From: Combeferre  
10:55AM  
It would appear that I have led you to believe that we are not friends, and that I dislike you. I would like to apologize, I never realized you felt this way, nor would I want you to since none of it is true. I’m sorry I never made any attempts to talk to you as a friend, I didn’t think you wanted me to. I was wrong to assume so, and I’m sorry.

Marius puts his head in his hands, his cheeks warm and still unable to contain his smile.

To: Combeferre  
10:57AM  
No apologies necessary, Courfeyrac cleared everything up.

From: Combeferre  
10:58AM  
Regardless, I’m sorry I let you believe that I disliked you for so long.

To: Combeferre  
10:58AM  
I never held it against you, but if it helps, I forgive you.

From: Combeferre  
10:59AM  
Thank you.

Suddenly his phone starts vibrating. An incoming call from Combeferre.

“Er, ‘Ferre, hi,” Marius says nervously.

“Hi, Marius,” Marius can hear the smile in the other man’s voice. “Courfeyrac mentioned something else I wanted to ask you about, but I didn’t think it was a conversation we should have over text. I was actually hoping to catch you in person, but I have to be a lecture soon, and I didn’t want to stall the conversation.”

Marius knows exactly what’s coming, and yet his breath still catches in his throat when Combeferre speaks again.

“Do you want to go on a date later? Coffee, maybe?”

Marius’ whole face flushes red, and before he can answer, Combeferre speaks again.

“And before you get upset with Courfeyrac, he didn’t tell me that you like me. I overheard Enjolras telling him that I have feelings for you, and Courf got ridiculously excited and told him you wouldn’t say no if I asked you on a date. I was hoping he was right when I decided to ask you.” A pause, and Marius can hear the uncertainty when he speaks next. “Was he?”

“Yes,” Marius reassures quickly. “Yes, he was right.”

“I- I’m glad,” Combeferre says, and he knows that the medical student is smiling again. “Is three alright? That’s when I’m done with school for the day.”

“I would like that.”


End file.
